Superheroes in Toy Form
Text Timo Raussi Photos Tartu Toy Museum
The Tartu Toy Museum opens its new season of temporary exhibitions on Saturday, 31 January, in the spirit of superheroes. We know that today’s children’s fantasy heroes include, among others, the members of Paw Patrol as well as Ladybug and Cat Noir. Back in our day, we immersed ourselves in the adventures of the X-Men, Biker Mice from Mars, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, because our own parents’ heroes, led by Pippi Longstocking, felt a bit too tame. You remember, right?
However, the Toy Museum’s new exhibition, “Me, a Superhero!”, is not limited to characters from comic books and animated films. It also reminds us who the real heroes of everyday life are. They include firefighters and police officers, rescue workers and paramedics, often accompanied by their four-legged helpers: police dogs, rescue dogs, and guide dogs. On the other hand, any one of us can perform heroic acts, too, by wearing a helmet while cycling or by standing up for a bullied classmate at school.
The museum exhibition features toy figures of heroes from both the present day and the past, displayed in glass cases, but it also includes plenty of interactive elements. Visitors can, for example, measure their own heroic qualities, search for and piece together clues for becoming a superhero, and explore children’s drawings from Tartu kindergartens depicting their views on heroism. And of course, the Toy Museum has its own play and craft area, where everyone can step into a world of imagination with their own superhero character.
The “Me, a Superhero!” exhibition, based on the museum’s own collections, is complemented by two additional sections. Henry Nummert, who spent his childhood in southern Estonia in the 1990s, began collecting superhero figures such as Spider-Man and Iron Man during his school years. His hobby has continued into adulthood, and today, as an entrepreneur, his most valuable superhero figurines are rare items preserved unopened in their original packaging. More than one hundred of these figures are on display at the Toy Museum.
Meanwhile, artist Madis Nurms, who works in theatres in Berlin and around Europe and teaches styling at the Tartu Art School, has curated a photography exhibition at the Toy Museum titled “Heroes Captured on Camera”, or in Estonian “Kadreeritud kangelased”, based on his long-standing hobby. Since childhood, Madis has photographed toys and their details: facial expressions of dolls, cityscapes created from LEGO sets, pseudo-humorous scenes staged with Godzilla monster figures, and much more. This distinctive photographic subject can also be explored on his Instagram page.
The Toy Museum is located in Tartu’s Old Town at Lutsu 8, and is open to the public weekly from Wednesday to Sunday, from 11:00 to 18:00. The area around the museum is a paid parking zone. For more information, see here, and read parking tips in the latest Baltic Guide article about travelling to Estonia.
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